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The Blue Gardenia (1953)

APPROVED  88 min  -  Crime | Drama | Film-Noir   -  23 March 1953 (USA)
6.8
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Ratings: 6.8/10 from 1,654 users  
Reviews: 44 user | 12 critic

A telephone operator ends up drunk and at the mercy of a cad in his apartment. The next morning she wakes up with a hangover and the terrible fear she may be a murderess.

Director:

Fritz Lang

Writers:

Charles Hoffman (screenplay), Vera Caspary (story)

Stars:

Anne Baxter, Richard Conte and Ann Sothern
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Cast

Complete credited cast:
Anne Baxter ...
Norah Larkin
Richard Conte Richard Conte ...
Casey Mayo
Ann Sothern ...
Crystal Carpenter
Raymond Burr ...
Harry Prebble
Jeff Donnell Jeff Donnell ...
Sally Ellis
Richard Erdman Richard Erdman ...
Al
George Reeves ...
Ruth Storey Ruth Storey ...
Rose Miller
Ray Walker Ray Walker ...
Homer
Nat 'King' Cole ...
Himself
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Storyline

In Los Angeles, on the day of her birthday, the telephone operator Norah Larkin decides to celebrate dining alone at home, with the picture of his beloved fiancé, a soldier overseas, and reading his last letter for her. In the letter he tells that he met a Japanese nurse and he wanted to get married with her. Norah, completely upset, accepts to blind date the Don Juan and photographer of calendar girls Harry Prebble. They go to the Blue Gardenia Club, and Norah drinks six strong cocktails Polynesian Pearl Divers and gets completely drunk. Harry takes her to his apartment and tries to force Norah to have sex, and she uses a poker to hit Harry on the head. On the next morning, she wakes-up in her apartment with her two roommates, but she can not remember what happened. When she reads the newspaper, she finds that Harry is dead and the police has her handkerchief, her high heels and her blue gardenia and is chasing the woman that killed the famous wolf Harry... Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Letter | Telephone | Telephone Operator | Birthday | Police  | See more »

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller

Parents Guide:

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

La femme au gardénia See more »

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Blue Gardenia Productions See more »
Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Germany:  | USA:

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

While the record album of the "Tristan and Isolde" music is never shown close enough to the camera for the movie audience to see it, it either is, or has been created to resemble, a typical 78-RPM album set of the 1940's of an RCA Victor recording featuring Arturo Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra. The cover art greatly resembles that of a 78-RPM album pressing featuring Toscanini conducting that orchestra. Toscanini was considered the greatest conductor of that era. See more »

Goofs

Revealing mistakes: At the end of Nora's first visit with Mayo at Bill's Cafe, when they are leaving, he is held up by some friends just coming in. She hustles out and gets into a cab of early '50s Chrysler Corporation manufacture (looks like a '53 DeSoto). When Mayo frees himself from his friends and rushes outside, he sees what is apparently meant to be her cab rounding a corner at the end of the block. This time it is a Chrysler product of the late '40s ('47 Desoto, one would guess). DeSotos were very popular as cabs in those days because they were as large as Chryslers, but at the next lower price range. See more »

Quotes

Casey Mayo: [on the phone] If you want your picture on the paper, you'll have to go out and kill somebody first.
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Soundtracks

"Blue Gardenia"
Written by Bob Russell and Lester Lee
Performed by Nat 'King' Cole
Arranged by Nelson Riddle See more »